The present invention generally relates to electro-pneumatic transducers, and more particularly, to electrostatically actuated valves.
Many industrial, commercial, aerospace, military and other applications depend critically on reliable valves for fluid (including gas) handling. In a chemical plant, for example, valves are often used to control the flow of fluid throughout the facility. Likewise, in an airplane, valves are often used to control air and fuel delivery, as well as some of the hydraulic systems that drive the control surfaces of the airplane. These are just a few examples of the many applications that depend critically on reliable valves for fluid (including gas) handling.
In many cases, one or more main valves are used to directly control the fluid. In other cases, smaller control or pilot valves are used to control the operation of a main valve. In any cases, it is often desirable to minimize the power and/or voltage required to operate the main and/or pilot valves, particular in wireless applications but also in other applications. While some prior art valves perform satisfactory for some applications, many have significant shortcomings including a relatively large size and weight, a relatively large voltage and/or power requirement, a relatively high fabrication cost, and/or other shortcomings.